Double victory for Audi R8 at the 2008 World Car of the Year awards• Audi R8 receives awards won last year by Audi RS 4 and Audi TT• Audi most successful manufacturer ever at World Car of the Year

The Audi R8 has achieved a double victory at the 2008 World Car of the Year awards, winning both the World Performance Car and the World Car Design of the Year awards. The super sports car from Audi was chosen for these awards by 47 World Car jurors from 24 countries throughout the world, including Australia.

When naming the Audi R8 as the 2008 World Performance Car, the jurors observed that it has “solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420 horsepower V8 engine and aluminum construction. But where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the limit. It has astonishing precision for a car of its size category”.

Last year, the Audi RS 4 collected the World Performance Car award, so this makes it two in a row in the performance category for the brand with the four rings. This year there were two representatives from Audi in the final stages of voting, as the Audi S5 was also one of the top three finalists for the award.

For the 2008 World Car Design of the Year award, the jurors praised the Audi R8 for “transforming the sports car landscape. The R8 design is striking, original and full of interesting details, from the nose strakes to the much discussed vertical ‘blade’ behind the B pillar”.

World Car design expert Tom Matano, Executive Director of the School of Industrial Design, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA commented that the Audi R8 is “a great visual representation of the technology within, a complete package of Techno-Iconic Design”.

Last year, the Audi TT received the World Car Design of the Year award, so Audi has retained this design crown for the second year in a row.

Audi won the overall World Car of the Year title with the Audi A6 sedan at the inaugural World Car of the Year awards in 2005. With one overall win and four category wins in total, Audi is the most successful manufacturer at the World Car of the Year awards.